1 He who fears death will never do anything worth of a man who is alive. -Seneca
If you live your life in fear of death you’ll never find any time to live life the way it is supposed to be lived. Live life in the moment and not in the fear of something that will happen in the future.
2 Look back over the past, with its changing empires that rose and fell, and you can foresee the future too. -Marcus Aurelius
The past is a lesson for the future. Analyse the past and you can predict the future with ease. Learn from the mistakes made and you can avoid them in the future.
3 A gem cannot be polished without friction, nor a man without trials. -Seneca
You only become better after having to go through tough times. Only after having faced hardships can you become a better and stronger person. It is the dark that brings out the light within you.
4 It’s not because things are difficult that we dare not venture, it’s because we dare not venture that they are difficult. -Seneca
Things seem difficult when we refrain from trying. Once you gather the courage and do it, you’ll realize that it was easier than what you had thought.
5 Wealth consists not in having great possessions, but in having few wants. -Epictetus
The wealthy are not those who have immense riches but those with less greed. You can never feel peace of mind if you are greedy and hell bent on acquiring more.
6 Life is very short and anxious for those who forget the past, neglect the present, and fear the future. -Seneca
Life is very tense for those who cannot live in the present but instead are all over the place. They forget their past instead of learning from it and fear the future while forgetting to live in the present.
7 You have power over your mind, not outside events, Realize this, and you will find strength. –Marcus Aurelius
You do not have the power to control the events that are outside your reach. But even then, the one thing you have control over is how you react to everything that happens around you and that in itself is a lot.
8 If you are pained by any external thing, it is not this thing that disturbs you, but your own judgment about it. -Marcus Aurelius
Things hurt you only if you let them hurt you. Only you can choose to give something the power to hurt you or not. You might have judged it the wrong way given it too much importance if it has hurt you.
9 We should always be asking ourselves: Is this something that is, or is not, in my control? -Epictetus
There are things that are in your control and those that aren’t. Ask yourself if something is in your control or not. If it isn’t you do not have to give it much attention.
10 If you really want to escape the things that harass you, what you’re needing is not to be in a different place but to be a different person. -Seneca
Sometimes it is not that you need a change of circumstances. What is more important is that you change your own perspective and attitude and that will make more difference.
11 It is the quality rather than the quantity that matters. -Seneca
Having lots of something does make it good. What matters is the quality of something. There’s no point in having loads of something that is useless.
12 We suffer more often in imagination than in reality. -Seneca
We tend to overthink and make up scenarios in our heads that have no substance in real life. The pain and suffering is mostly just in our heads.
13 They lose the day in expectation of the night, and the night in fear of the dawn. -Seneca
We lose our present moments in anticipation of the future. In our good times we worry about a bad future. And in the bad times, we yearn for the better times, all while we ignore the present.
14 The happiness of your life depends upon the quality of your thoughts. -Marcus Aurelius
Your thoughts are what make you what you are. Your happiness depends upon your thoughts more than anything. Think better thoughts and you’ll have a much easier life.
15 Don’t explain your philosophy, Embody it. -Epictetus
Try to be what you preach. Be an example for the ideology that you preach. People after all, tend to follow those who inspire them.
15 Amazing Stoic Quotes to Inspire & Motivate You!
1. He who fears death will never do anything worth of a man who is alive. -Seneca
2. Look back over the past, with its changing empires that rose and fell, and you can foresee the future too. -Marcus Aurelius
3. A gem cannot be polished without friction, nor a man without trials. -Seneca
4. It’s not because things are difficult that we dare not venture, it’s because we dare not venture that they are difficult. -Seneca
5. Wealth consists not in having great possessions, but in having few wants. -Epictetus
6. Life is very short and anxious for those who forget the past, neglect the present, and fear the future. -Seneca
7. You have power over your mind, not outside events, Realize this, and you will find strength. –Marcus Aurelius
8. If you are pained by any external thing, it is not this thing that disturbs you, but your own judgment about it. -Marcus Aurelius
9. We should always be asking ourselves: Is this something that is, or is not, in my control? -Epictetus
10. If you really want to escape the things that harass you, what you’re needing is not to be in a different place but to be a different person. -Seneca
11. It is the quality rather than the quantity that matters. -Seneca
12. We suffer more often in imagination than in reality. -Seneca
13. They lose the day in expectation of the night, and the night in fear of the dawn. -Seneca
14. The happiness of your life depends upon the quality of your thoughts. -Marcus Aurelius
15. Don’t explain your philosophy, Embody it. -Epictetus